It is known to secure a bushing within an opening in a structural wall by positioning the bushing within the opening, holding it in place, and then forcing an expansion mandrel through the center of the bushing to radially expand the bushing into an interference fit with the opening. A lubricant must be applied to the contacting surfaces of the mandrel and bushing. If insufficient lubricant is applied, the mandrel can become stuck in the bushing. Also, the mandrel imposes an axial force on the bushing, sometimes causing undesirable galling and/or deformation of the bushing.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for causing radial expansion of a bushing with controlled axial movement of the bushing. Another object of the present invention is to use a lubricated split sleeve between the mandrel and the bushing to absorb the axial forces and permit bushing installation from one side of the workpiece. The split sleeve may be of the type disclosed in Louis A. Champoux U.S. Pat. No. 3,566,662, granted Mar. 2, 1971, or by Claim M. Harter U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,744, granted May 30, 1972. The prior art use of these split sleeves is for the cold expansion of metal immediately surrounding an opening for fatigue life enhancement.